Cinema Paradiso

Brendog

When I did my leaving cert last year we had to watch a film called "Cinema Paradiso"...

Now in a school of lads who thought "Universal Solider" was a good movie, a foreign film isn't going to be welcomed with open arms.
The first time we watched it we took the piss.
The second time, we took the piss
The third time.....silence.

It was then we realised how good the film was.
I thought it was a good film to begin with, but it was fasinating to see EVERYONES opinion change...



I read an article online that made reference to the film and I'm just thinking how good a film it is!....Definitly one of the best foreign films I've ever seen.

Knifey Spoony

We did for our leaving cert as well, even though I thought that it was a bit strange that we do an Italian film for the English Leaving Cert. It was a toss up between The Truman Show and this, but I can say that after watching this so many times, I am glad that Cinema Paradiso was picked. It a simple enough story but told brillantly. The characters, their relationships, the film score, the photography.... all excellent. A true classic of foreign film.

glanman

Get the directors cut if you can, what an epic film. They imagery, the emotion, the humour, young toto, the social messages. This film has everything, a really moving story that everyone will love. All time favourite film of mine. That music is so evocative also!

DeepBlue

It's a film that's unashamedly emotionally manipulative - but all the better for it.

Tbh I preferred the original cut to the director's cut. In the director's cut you find out what happened with Elena but you're almost better off not knowing.

Owen

One of the all time best foreign movies IMO. I think it was the first foreign movie I watched, but the story is so brilliantly told, and the humour is fantastic.

Brendog

We didn't get a choice between this or Truman show.

The Truman show is good but in all honesty I probably would've went off on a tangent about "Liar Liar" and "The Cable Guy" in the exam.



Yeah The music works so well in Cinema Paradiso. If you watch it again, you'll see theres many scenes without dialogue but only music playing. These are some of the most powerful scenes. Like the ending when Toto finds the reel of all kissing scenes that Alfredo keep for him. Its just pure raw emotion!
Too bad theres few films like this anymore.....

fifilarue

Sorry for butting in but when I saw the thread title I couldn't resist. Cinema Paradiso is one of my favourite films. Every time I watch it I see something I hadn't noticed before. If you liked it though, I'd recommend Il Postino, with Massimo Troisi and Philippe Noiret. It's just brilliant.

abouttobebanned

Honourable first mention for Ennio

marwelie

Cinema Paradiso is being shown in the Screen Cinema on DOlier Street on August 23rd at 8pm.

If you haven't seen it, go see it.

If you have seen it, go and see it again ;o)

bonerm

I genuinely think schools should not be allowed screen movies during "babysitting hour" in English class. Even if you actually wanted to watch the movie it invariably ended up that you were watching it on 16 inch television from 25ft away and trying to hear what was going on over the comments of 30 "comedians".

I remember this method was how I saw 2001 A Space Odyssey for the first time. Nearly ruined the film for me forever.

glanman

bonerm wrote: »

I genuinely think schools should not be allowed screen movies during "babysitting hour" in English class. Even if you actually wanted to watch the movie it invariably ended up that you were watching it on 16 inch television from 25ft away and trying to hear what was going on over the comments of 30 "comedians".

I remember this method was how I saw 2001 A Space Odyssey for the first time. Nearly ruined the film for me forever.

It was on the curriculum, part of the english course so not quite babysitting

marwelie

glanman wrote: »

It was on the curriculum, part of the english course so not quite babysitting

Lucky b*stards, all I had was Julius Caesar and King Lear:mad:

K4t

Ya great film. Same story here, Op. During the last few days of school the 'boys' asked could we watch it again. Very emotional film and the music is very emotive too.

A V A

this is a great great filme i did this for my leaving aswell.i didnt know it at the time but when i got into it , i loved it.i was glad i got this over the truman show and my left foot in my year.i got some abuse for liking it so much , my class had no respect atal ,towards the class and teachers so i took it upon myself to move to the front.i learnt alot from it, it opened my eys in 6th year and made me look forward to english class,but what really pissed me ff was sir stoping and starting the fcuking thing over and over again !!!!:p:p

the relationship between alfredo and toto is nice to watch , and jeysus i only realized the other day thats cinema paradiso is a bloody long film !!!!
also did Philadelphia here i come , thought that was great to . . . . shame about that wanker macbeth !!!

A V A

also its great to watch it now the whole way through and not having to take notes!!!:D:D:D:P:P:

ricero

Simiilar thing happened in my leaving cert it was a toss up between Casablanca and billy elliot we ended up wit Casablanca and to our amazment it was a brillant film Humphrey bogart is amazing in it and the dialogue is superb the film seems years ahead of it's times I now realize why many call this film the greatest of all time

A V A

we didnt get to pick ours. . . .did everybody else get to pick theirs?? casablanca is a brilliant film any way very long aswel.

Brendog

A V A wrote: »

we didnt get to pick ours. . . .did everybody else get to pick theirs?? casablanca is a brilliant film any way very long aswel.

Its just full of amazing dialogue and quotes.

"of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."
Isn't that wonderful!




After watching Cinema Paradiso basically our entire class became more civilized and polite....
Our teacher then ruined it buy letting us watch Family Guy in our last class with her hahaha

Sticky_Fingers

Yeah we got to watch Cinema Paradiso in English class, not for any exam mind but just to culture us up a bit. Its a fantastic film but really needs to be seen in one sitting, we'd watch and hour and then have to wait till the following week to see the rest, ruining it IMO. It was funny seeing all the class hard men trying not to well up during it though.

We also got to watch Roman Polanski's Macbeth, a great production though it did get me into trouble when our boy Maccy axes a guy in the nuts, when I saw that I let out a loud involuntary "ooww" down the back of the class, teacher was not impressed.

Jimmy Iovine

Just the perfect film. So glad we got to watch this for the Leaving. You have to watch the director's cut though. It makes it far better in my opinion which is nearly impossible haha

LittleBook

Maybe it's simply because I watched original general release version first but I seem to be one of the few who really disliked the director's cut.

A V A

i didnt like the directors cut

bonerm

I've actually have the 4disc dvd version of this sitting around for ages and haven't watched it yet. Plan to do so this weekend. I'm guessing theres (at least? ) two versions on that set so my question is, which version would be best worth watching?

The Recliner

bonerm wrote: »

I've actually have the 4disc dvd version of this sitting around for ages and haven't watched it yet. Plan to do so this weekend. I'm guessing theres (at least? ) two versions on that set so my question is, which version would be best worth watching?

There is no right or wrong version really, both versions are good, as to which one is better it really is down to personal preference

Mine is for the directors cut, I feel it is complete and rounds things off nicely, either way which ever one you watch you hopefully will fall in love with it the way so many other people have

I guess I would suggest watching the theatrical release first because if you like that then you will probably appreciate the directors cut more after, though not everyone does

A V A

Cinema Paradiso - 23rd August @ 8.30pm


this is being showed as part of the 80's movie tribute for the late john hughes .its being showed in screen cinema, just to the side of trinity ,where the the satue of the usher with the torch in his hand is:)
just thought id let you know,im thinking of going

LittleBook

A V A wrote: »

Cinema Paradiso - 23rd August @ 8.30pm


this is being showed as part of the 80's movie tribute for the late john hughes .its being showed in screen cinema, just to the side of trinity ,where the the satue of the usher with the torch in his hand is:)
just thought id let you know,im thinking of going

Which version?

"Film club" possibility??

A V A

im not sure i would say its the directors cut???



im up for going if anyone else

LittleBook

A V A wrote: »

im not sure i would say its the directors cut??

Shoite :rolleyes:;)

A V A wrote: »

im up for going if anyone else

I'm game. I popped the it on the Film Club Ideas thread, we'll see who bites.

Popinjay

We did Cinema Paradiso for the Leaving way back when in 2001. Back when to have a good ringtone you had to compose it yourself on the crappy ringtone generator they gave you.

One of the guys in my class managed to put it together and it spread like wildfire.

A bunch of the lads who could play different instruments learned how to play it and perfored it at the Grad too, and the line (pardon my memory, can't remember it word for word anymore) when Salvatore is calling for help for Alfredo after the fire was a catchphrase for a good while.

If that doesn't show how much a bunch of 16-18 year olds can end up loving a film they thought they'd hate because you'd have to read while you were watching it, I don't know what does.